Saturday, October 2, 2010

3 October 1973 - They Didn't Really Need The Help, Liam

On 3 October 1973, Romania's Dinamo Bucureşti set a European Cup/Champions League record by beating Northern Ireland's Crusaders FC by the score of 11-0. To make matter worse for Crusaders, the record-setting eleventh goal was an own goal.

The two teams met in the first round of the competition, with Dinamo scraping out a narrow 0-1 victory in the first leg, played in Belfast. The lone goal in that match was scored in the first minute by midfielder Viorel Sălceanu.

Sălceanu failed to get on the score sheet in the second leg, played in Bucharest. The slack was picked up by striker Dudu Georgescu (7', 14', 47', 63') and midfielder Radu Nunweiller (19', 40', 75', 81'), with help from center back Cornel Dinu (52') and striker Florea Dumitrache (67'). Collectively, they gave Dinamo a comfortable 10-0 lead into the match's dying moments. Then, in the 88th minute, Crusaders defender Liam Beckett knocked the ball into his own goal to extend Dinamo's lead to 11-0.

Although Dinamo hoped the resounding win would be a catapult to further success in the tournament, it was not to be, as they were eliminated in the second round by Atlético Madrid.

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